Under the Ring interview with Christopher Daniels

That may be a unique moniker, but the guy knows how to market himself and how to promote any of the companies he works for.

This time, Daniels, who has worked for TNA Wrestling, for the better part of a decade was promoting TNA Lockdown, which airs on pay-per-view on Sunday from the Alamodome in San Antonio. He was also promoting the Impact Wrestling live tour, where TNA’s tapings will now take place away from Orlando’s Universal Studios and be in a new location each week.

Next week’s event will be held at the Sears Center in Chicago.

Admittedly, I have not kept up on Impact Wrestling in a while, so some of my questions may have reflected that. We spoke this past Thursday. Thanks to Marc Kruskol for facilitating the interview

Phil Strum: With Lockdown this Sunday, is it hard to do an all-cage match card and make each one unique?

Christopher Daniels: Absolutely, it is. Having said that, I’m not sure that every match in this year’s Lockdown is in the cage. In the past, when we did do that with the entire card in the cage, it made for a difficult part of our job to try and make every match different and stand out. We kind of had to put our heads together to make sure we don’t cross streams and do the same match.

CD: The tag team with Frankie is some of the best stuff we’ve been doing. I’ve known Frankie for 15 years and this is the first chance I’ve had to be a team for a long period of time with him. It’s rejuvenated both of us and it’s one of the most entertaining parts of the show, in my opinion, and in a lot of people’s opinions. In the ring, on the mic, is some of the best work of my career right now. The whole point of being a tag team is to be champions of the world and this is the perfect opportunities to get back to the top.

PS: Outside of about 10 months and some international tours, you’ve been in TNA for most of the 11 years, longer than most. Compare and contrast the company, then and now.

CD: The truth of the matter is, when we were doing weekly pay-per-view out of Nashville, it was a different business plan and a different way to approach the wrestling business. A little offbeat. We had a company, but no touring, no live events, really no TV outlet to speak of. It was a different way to present a product. Outside people were thinking like it wasn’t going to last. There’s no way to keep that business plan running.

Knowing what we know now, moving from The Asylum to Orlando to being on Fox Sports Net to Spike TV, late nights and then Thursdays in prime time to now going live, all these steps we’ve taken in the last 10 years were steps forward. We knew as long as we worked hard, those steps were going to come. Guys that were there from the beginning like myself, AJ Styles and James Storm were there and we created a buzz about the product. If not for that, it wouldn’t be feasible for guys like Kurt Angle and Team 3D and Christian Cage to come here. It says a lot to us that other guys like Kurt Angle put his trust in the company to build something and make something. It wasn’t a retirement tour when they left WWE. It’s a big deal for us now on the 14th to take Impact on the road.

PS: What’s it mean to you to have spent so much of your career in TNA?

CD: I’m thrilled. For whatever reason, the opportunities I had in WWE never materialized. I was very fortunate to find work elsewhere, whether it was on the independent scene or overseas. When TNA came around, it was a much better fit for me. Business-wise and wrestling-wise, it worked out perfectly. It gave me the opportunity to wrestle on national TV and travel overseas. It’s something I’m proud of and continue to be proud of.

PS: What’s going to be the difference with taking Impact on the road?

CD: It’s the nature of the business. If we were to just stay in one spot forever, it would be a death knell. It’s a gamble, but each step we’ve taken, we’ve taken forward. That’s what’s kept the company alive. The hard work of the guys in the ring and the hard work of the people behind the scenes.

The travel will be different and the fact that we’re going to different places. The times we’ve taped Impact or had Impact outside the Impact Zone, the energy’s been a little higher. As great as the Impact Zone was for us, we sort of became desensitized in front of them. When you’re in the same place for nine years, the law of diminishing returns starts to set in and you need to be in front of a new audience. We feed off that energy, I think you’re going to see a much more exciting show.

PS: What are your thoughts on the TNA Gut Check? It seems like it might have been something we could have seen Christopher Daniels in 15 or 16 years ago.

CD: I think it’s a good way for people to get introduced to new talent. The way they changed it, it used to be one person vs. a roster member and now, it’s two people fighting for a job at the same time. The company needs to get some entertainment out of it, as well as future roster members. Those decisions are made far above my pay grade, so to speak.

PS: What advice would you have for people who are trying to break into this business?

CD: From my experience, I’d say work as often as you can, in as many places and with as many different people as you can. That’s the only way to become a commodity is to come to a new promotion and wrestle a good match against whoever’s in the ring with you. It doesn’t matter who it is who stands across the ring from you. You give the promoter what they paid for and that’s what makes you a commodity to these promoters. That’s one of the things that helped me out.

On the east coast, I worked hard to make that first impression and they continued to bring me back. I established a rapport with a lot of promoters on the east coast and they took the chance and brought me in. It wasn’t just cashing a paycheck, I built a career. Some guys sort of like to stay in their backyard, and I don’t mean their backyard literally, but they stay where they are trained, in their comfort zone, and they never get out of their comfort zone where you’re only as good as the best person in your clique.

PS: What interests you in the modern wrestling world?

CD: Just looking at a different way to build a character and do my matches differently. I’m trying to do different things every time to find out what works and what doesn’t work.

The team with me and Frankie was literally me and him, going back and forth, and daring to do the silly stuff to see how far we can get underneath people’s skins. Seeing how we can stand out and get people talking about what we did on the show.

PS: If someone isn’t watching Impact Wrestling, what would you tell them to get them interested?

CD: I think, pound-for-pound, we have the best wrestlers in the world and we have a hunger for getting better and getting bigger. We’re trying to show the world that wrestling is not only WWE. It’s not a one-pony race anymore. I feel like anyone who samples our product will see something they like and become a fan.